Shaft for golf clubs



Feb. 23, 1932. H. G. BARRETT SHAFT FOR GOLF CLUBS Filed March 22, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 23, 1.932. H. G. BARRETT SHAFT FOR GOLF CLUBS FiledMarch 22, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 23, 1932 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD G. BARRETT, F WILMETTE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 PYRATONE PRODUCTSCORPORATION, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS SHAFT FORGOLF CLUBS Application led March 22, 1929. Serial No. 349,015.

This invention relates to improvements in shafts, particularly adapted,though not necessarily limited in its use for golf clubs, and one of theobjects of the invention is to provide an improved club of thischaracter in which the head will be adapted for a slight torsional orpivotal or rotary action with respect to the shaft without the use ofsprmgs, and in which shaft there is provided an outer shell or casingencompassing the core. The casing at one end is fastened to the head ofthe club and at its other end, to the shaft or core so that theintermediate portion will be free with respect to the shaft or core,with the result that the necessary or desired amount of torque will beproduced and at the same time it will be possible to employ a rigid corein the construction of the shaft.

A further object is to provide improved means for anchoring or securingone end of the casing to the core.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new anduseful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features ofnovelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangementof the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed andshown in the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention, and inwhich Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a golf club shaft constructedin accordance with the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional view partly brokenaway of the head end of the club.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line 3 3, Figure1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken -on line L1 4, Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55, Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a detail elevation of a portion of the anchoring element.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 1 of a modified form of theinvention.

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail sectional View of the head end of thegolf club shaft shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a detail sectional view taken on line 9-9, Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section, of oneend of the core showing the anchoring sleeve or means secured to thecore.

Figure 11 is a detail longitudinal sectional view of a combined adapterand torsional element shown in Figure 8.

Referringmore particularly to the drawings and to the form of theinvention shown in Figures 1 to 6, the numeral 15 designates a shaftpreferably hollow and preferably tapered, to one end of which may besecured in any suitable manner a grip or handle portion 16.

The numeral 17 designates the head of a golf club shaft, here shown asbeing a wooden head which is provided with the usual opening 18therethrough and in which the shaft of the club is usually inserted.

Secured to the core at any desired point and in any suitable manner is asleeve designated generally by the reference numeral 19 which may beconstructed of any suitable materi al such as woven wire or the like orreticulated and may be a seamless sleeve, or as shown may be dividedalong one side as at 20 so as to facilitate the application of theelement 19 to the core 15.

This sleeve or element 19 may be of any desired length and closely fitsabout the core 15. This sleeve is applied to the core preferably byfirst dipping the sleeve in a flux,

such as Babbitt material and after being placed in position on the coreis subjected to the action of heat to cause the same to be fused to thecore.

Sleeved upon the end of the core 15 is a tubular member 21 which isconstructed of any suitable non-metallic hard flexible material such aspyroxyline, cellulose material or any other suitable material which willbecome pliable on the action of heat and which when cooled will shrinkabout the core upon which it is placed.

The tubular member is preferably of an. internal diameter slightlygreater than the external diameter of the portion of the core 15 uponwhich it is sleeved and if desired a filler 22 of any suitable materialmay be placed upon the core to lill the space between the tubular memberand the core.

The tubular member 21 is subjected to the 5 action of heat to render thesame pliable either before or after it is telescoped over the core 15,after which it is allowed to become cooled or the cooling may be forced,thereby causing the tubular member which forms a casing to contract andshrink about the core and in so doing the portion of the casing ortubular member 21 into Which the element 19 is telescoped will becomeembedded in or locked to the element 19, the latter, as before stated,being secured to the core 15 in any suitable manner.

The other end of the tubular member or casing 21 is reduced as at 23 toform a shoulder 24, the extremity 25 of the reduced portion being closedand into which reduced portion the extremity of the core 15 projects.

The shoulder 24 abuts the end of the head 17 and a suitable fasteningdevice 26 may be provided for securing the end of the tubular member orcasing 21 to the head 17.

It will therefore be manifest that the tubular member or casing 21 willbe secured at one end to the core 15 While the other end of the core isloose with respect to the reduced portion 23 of the casing 21 and as thecasing or tubular member 21 is secured by its other end to the head 17and being free from the core 15, it will be manifest that there Will bea torsional, rotarv or pivotal action of the head 17 with respect to thecore 15, due to the inherent resiliency of the material constituting orforming the tubular member or casing 21.

The portion of the core 15 beyond the end of the tubular member orcasing 16 may be provided with a covering or casing 27 constructed ofany desired or suitable material, preferably pyroxyline or the like, andthe proximate end of the casing 27 may be telescoped into the end of thetubular member or casing 21 to abut the end of the element 19.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 7 to 11, there is shown anadapter or tortional element corresponding with the tubular member orcasing 21 which may be used with the standard iron head for Wood shaftedclubs, thereby adapting the head to be applied to a metallic shaft,preferably a tubular shaft so that a torsional, rotary or pivotalmovement may be given to the head With respect to the shaft, and at thesame time impart an appearance to the club similar to a wood shaft.

In the said form of the invention the numeral 28 designates the headhaving a tubular extended shank 29 preferably provided with internalscrew threads.

The numeral 30 designates the adapter which is in the form of a tubularmember or sleeve having an internal diameter slightly greater than theexternal diameter of the portion of the core upon which it is to besleeved.

One end of the tubular member or casing 30 is reduced as at 31 to form ashoulder 32 and this tubular ortion may be provided with screw threa sas shown in Figure 8, adapted to engage threads in the tubularportion-29 of the head 28 or smooth as shown in Figure 11. If theformer, the threads on the tubular member 30 should be left hand threadsto prevent the head 28 from turning off of the shaft when a ball isstruck by the head. If the periphery of the reduced portion 3l is smooththe tubular member or casing 30 may be secured to the head by means ofcement, glue, or the like. The periphery of the element adjacent theshoulder 32 may be flared as at 32EL to resemble a wood shaft.

The core 15 as Well as the internal diameter of the tubular member orcasing 30 are tapered and secured to the core at any desired pointpreferably in proximity to the head 28 is a sleeve 33 fastened inposition in any desired or suitable manner, and the sleeve is providedwith openings 34 therethrough.

The casing or tubular member 30 may be subjected to the action of heatso as to render the same pliable, it being constructed of any suitablehard, non-metallic and flexible material capable of being renderedpliable by such action of heat. The heating of the casing or tubularmember 30 may be accomplished either before or after it is placed uponthe end of the core 15 and when in p0- sition and after it has beenrendered pliable, it is then cooled, which cooling may be forced ifdesired to cause the portion of the casing or tubular member 30 intowhich the element 33 telescopes to contract or shrink upon the core, andportions of the casing adjacent the element 33 will enter the openings34 and thereby securely fasten the end of the element 30 to the core 15.

The other end of the core 15 telescopes loosely into the reduced end 31of the element 3() and if desired a spacer or filler member 35 may beprovided in the space between the tubular member or casing 30 andthe'periphery of the core 15, with the result ythat the tubular memberor casing 30 will be anchored or secured to the core 15 at on end whileit will be free from the core at the other end, but will in turn besecured to the head 28.

With this construction it will be manifest that the head 28 will beadapted for a slight torsional, rotary or pivotal movement with respectto the core 15 by reason of the inherent resiliency of the material ofwhich the tubular member or casing 30 is constructed.

While the preferred forms of the invention have been herein shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that various changes may be made inthe details of construction and in the Laaae'ri combination andarrangement of the several parts, Within the scope of the claims,Without departing from the spirit of this invention.

`What is claimed as new is l. A golf club embodying a head provided withan open handle socket, a tubular eleinent constructed of non-metallichard and flexible material, one end of said element being reduced andfixedly secured in said socket, a shaft, one end of Which looselytelescopes into said element and head, the telescoping portions of saidelement and shaft Within the head being disconnected and rotatable onewith respect to the other, and means securing the free end of saidelement to the shaft in proximity to but spaced from said head.

2. A golf club embodying a shaft, a head, and means securing the head tothe shaft to provide a slight torsional movement of the head withrespect to 'the shaft, said means embodying a tubular element sleevedover the end of the shaft, one end of said element being anchored to thehead and the other end anchored to the shaft, the portions of the shaftand element in the head being axially rotatable one with respect to theother.

3. A golf club embodying a shaft, a head, and means securing the head tothe shaft to provide a slight torsional movement of the head withrespect to the shaft, said means embodying a tubular element sleevedover the end of the shaft, one end of said element being anchored to thehead and disconnected from the shaft and the other end of the elementbeingl anchored to the shaft, said sleeve being resilient and operatingto return said head to normal position after distortion.

4c. A golf club embodying a shaft, a head, and means securing the headto the shaft to provide a slight torsional movement of the head Withrespect to the shaft, said means embodying a tubular element sleevedover the end of the shaft, one end of said element being anchored to thehead and disconnected from the shaft, and the other end of the elementbeing anchored to the shaft, said element be ing formed of non-metallichard and flexible material.

5. A golf club embodying a head provided with an open handle socket, atubular element constructed of non-metallic hard `and flexible material,one end of said element being reduced and fixedly secured in saidsocket, a shaft, one end of which loosely telescopes into said elementand head, means securing the free end of said element to the shaft inproximity to said head, and a casing sleeved upon the shaft beyond saidelement, one end of said casing telescoping into said element.

G. A golf club embodying a head provided with an open handle socket, atubular element of non-metallic hard and flexible material, one end ofthe element being secured in said socket, a shaft, one end looselytelescoping inte said element and head, an apertured sleeve encompassingand secured to said shaft and over which the other end of said tubularelement telescopes, a portion of said element extending into saidapertures.

7. A golf club embodying a head provided with an open handle socket, atubular element of non-metallic hard and flexible material, one end ofthe element being reduced and secured in said socket, a shaft, one endloosely telescoping into said element and head, and a sleeve formed ofreticulated material encompassin g and secured to said shaft and overWhich the other end of said tubular element telescopes, a portion ofsaid element extending into said apertures.

fn testimony "whereof l have signed my name to this specification onthis 12th day of March, A. D. 1929.

HARLD G. BARRETT.

